His Personal And Completely Unbiased Prerogative
by Vaeyana
Summary: Why on earth did Dumbledore ever appoint James Potter as Head Boy?


"James Potter?"

To say that Dumbledore's appointed Head Boy came as somewhat of a shock to the Hogwarts faculty would be the understatement of the century. Lily Evans, not so much. She had always displayed an admirable level of maturity for a girl her age, and was a wonderful role model for the younger students. But Potter?

"You can't be serious, Albus!" Minerva McGonagall exclaimed at the next staff meeting, the morning after the announcement had been made.

"I assure you, my dear Minerva. My mind is quite made up," Dumbledore replied, leaning back in his squashy armchair and steepling his fingers before him. He was quite the picture of contentment and tranquillity, even as the staff room erupted into chaos around him.

The problem was he never quite made clear his reasoning behind the decision. Over the following weeks, whenever asked (which was often) he would always make some vague, sweeping gesture with one hand, as if to send the question soaring away into the oblivion of the air through which his hand passed (or, on one memorable occasion, through Professor Merrythought's blancmange, sitting too close at dinner) while offering some increasingly vacant reply.

Of course, it was not only the suitability (or lack thereof) of Potter they were concerned with, but also his general health and well being.

"Potter and _Evans_, Albus? She'll kill him within the week! You can't possibly think that that is the most healthy or professional working partnership! They have to set an example to the student, for Merlin's sake, and that won't happen if the Head Girl turns the Head Boy into a giant pumpkin again!"

Dumbledore chuckled around a sherbet lemon and proposed that their worries were entirely unfounded, and that giving James an extra degree of responsibility could potentially be the making of the boy! "All he needs is a bit of a push! Give him the duties, and just might grow up, and surprise you all!"

Honestly?

Because really, you do not select a Head Boy solely based on the fact that the appointment could _potentially_ make him more responsible. Clearly, there was an alternate reason. But whenever anyone brought this point up, he either glossed over it and changed the subject—_um, well...ah, that is to say, he' as good as any candidate oh and that reminds me, did you receive that shipment of potted fluttering ferns you were waiting on Pomona?—_became incredibly defensive—_Well, I never! __I'm just trying to do a good thing here!—_or employed the guilt tactic—_My dear Minerva, do you honestly think that of me? How can you think that I would jeopardise the Hogwarts student leadership by appointing someone who really oughtn't be there? _

All this vagueness, of course, made his underlying motivations seem quite suspicious indeed.

Because, naturally, the staff pool on how and when Evans and Potter finally got their act together and _got_ together had nothing to do with it, of course. As a deeply mature wizard renowned for his wisdom, he had better things to do with his time than that.

Obviously.

The extra 20 galleons from Filius was just a bonus.

That's all.

And if any staff member tried to question his motives, then he felt he was completely within his rights to point out that it didn't speak well for their own sense of integrity either, if the only reason they had a problem with it was because it decreased their own chances of winning the pool.

A suggestion to which an incredibly offended (and bright magenta) Minerva simply gave her Disapproving Sniff, but said no more on the matter. (Although really, such was the power of the Sniff that no more _needed _to be said.)

Because if anyone dared suggest that Minerva's concerns were influenced by her own position in the staff pool, which placed the likelihood of the development of a Evans-Potter romance firmly in the category of Never Going to Happen Even If the Entire Wizarding World Collapses and All That's Left is James Potter, a Manticore and a Flobberworm, well...

God help you all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **I do apologise for the ridiculousness that is this fic. I wrote it in literally 20 minutes, on very little sleep, but couldn't think of anywhere else to go with it, and the idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I just ran with it as it is. Hope I don't offend anyone by the appalling quality of this particular fiction, I assure you, my others are much better!


End file.
